Wednesday, February 15, 2012

To Frame or Not to Frame?

“To Frame or Not to Frame” That is Only the First Question!

Framing, basically, comes down to choice. But you have to decide whose choice- yours or your customer. Your choice is easy, but how do you choose a frame for the general public? There are some guidelines to choosing a frame for display, considering the presentation is usually what sells the artwork. The frame choice should complement the artwork and not compete with it.

The painting should always be the star of the piece. The style of frame should work with the style of the artwork. A barn wood frame would be suitable for a country landscape, but not a contemporary abstract. A metal frame can look sophisticated and futuristic; while, a plastic frame may seem simple and inexpensive.

Color can be determined quite easily if you are hanging the painting in a room with a particular color scheme. However, choosing something suitable, yet generic, is the best advice when you plan to sell your painting.

Some artists avoid the decision by selling the artwork without a frame and leave the choice to the customer. However, it would probably be a good idea to, at least, display the piece in an attractive frame, even if you intend to sell it without one. This allows the interested party to visualize how it would look on their own wall and possibly seal the deal.

Working in standard sized dimensions means you can probably purchase a pre made frame pretty reasonably. However, when you choose to produce odd sized and shaped artwork you may have to resort to custom framing for your masterpiece, which usually adds to the investment.

Professional custom framing can be expensive and almost always accounts for about 75% of the artworks value. With this in mind, artists have learned to be creative with ways of displaying their art.
Watercolorists and pastel artists normally use framed glass to protect their vulnerable mediums. They usually choose to frame with UV glass that protects the artwork from the sun’s fading power, but can be very expensive.

Other artists, however, choose to mount their watercolors to wooden panels and canvases for displaying without glass. This can save on the expense of framing, but also requires the painting to be treated with acrylic sealers that will protect the surface from dirt and moisture. This technique also changes the look of the artwork, which is not always a desired result.

Oil and acrylic artists, who often use the same styles of frames without glass, have the same dilemma of framing or not framing their artwork. Not framing saves a bundle, but may not suit the artwork, making it look and seem unfinished.

Presentation is everything and this choice can determine whether a painting sells or not. Artists who work predominately with extra deep canvases will usually hang the painting with no frame at all. This is attractive and very acceptable, if the canvases are larger pieces of more than two feet long or wide.

Smaller paintings, typically, need some type of frame to add substance to the artwork.
The option of framing an oil or acrylic painting can become an expensive one, especially, when the canvases are oversized and extra deep. Standard pre-made frames have an average depth capacity of about ¼ in to 1 in. However, back stapled, gallery wrapped canvases are typically 1 ½ in deep, requiring custom framing, which adds to the already costly expense.

The choice is tough, check out a professional, click HERE to contact Sierra Frame Works in Placerville.

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